Rating: 
Wellness Core Canned Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.
Currently, the Wellness Core Grain Free product line includes two canned dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Wellness Core Turkey, Chicken Liver and Turkey Liver
- Wellness Core Salmon, Whitefish and Herring
Wellness Core Turkey, Chicken Liver and Turkey Liver was selected to represent both products for this review.
Wellness Core Turkey, Chicken Liver and Turkey Liver
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, turkey, chicken liver, chicken broth, chicken meal, turkey liver, sweet potatoes, carrageenan, guar gum, carrots, apples, spinach, parsley, blueberries, broccoli, kale, ground flaxseed, salmon oil, salt, chicory root extract, Yucca schidigera extract, potassium chloride, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, potassium iodide, biotin, vitamin D-3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food includes chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is turkey… a meat with a similar nutritional profile to chicken.
The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
The fourth ingredient lists chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The fifth ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The sixth ingredient is turkey liver… another named organ meat.
The seventh item lists sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The eight ingredient lists carrageenan… a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Carrageenan has been safely used as a food additive for hundreds of years.
The ninth ingredient is guar gum… another gelling agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall quality of this product.
We also note this food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Wellness Core Grain Free Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Based upon its ingredient quality alone, Wellness Core Grain Free looks like an exceptional canned dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself does not tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the amount of meat present before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 55%, a fat level of 36% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 1%.
Due to our overestimate of residual ash content, the carb reading should probably be a bit closer to five percent rather than the reported 1% on the gauge… still an unusually low reading.
Both products in the line present the same protein content. But fat averaged 34% for the pair.
High protein. High fat. And very low carbohydrates… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a wet food containing an abundance of meat.
Bottom line?
Wellness Core Grain Free is primarily a meat-based canned food using a generous supply of named fish or poultry as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a grain-free kibble from the same company may want to read our review of Wellness Core Grain Free Dry Dog Food.
You may also want to check out the company’s two other canned product lines… Wellness Canned Formulas and Wellness 95%.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
11/17/2009 Original review
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.